Product Description

First published in France in 1937, this important essay marked a turning point in Sartre’s philosophical development. Before writing it, he had been closely allied with phenomenologists such as Husserl and Heidegger. Here, however, Sartre attacked Husserl’s notion of a transcendental ego. The break with Husserl, in turn, facilitated Sartre’s transition from phenomenology to the existentialist doctrines of his masterwork, Being and Nothingness, which was completed a few years later while the author was a prisoner of war.

This student-friendly edition of The Transcendence of the Ego also includes an introduction and notes/annotations by the translators.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57363 in Books
• Published on: 1991-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 119 pages

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

About the Author
Jean-Paul Sartre—novelist, essayist, playwright, and philosopher—was France's leading existentialist. Among his most famous works are the novel Nausea, the play No Exit, and the philosophical treatise Being and Nothingness.

Customer Reviews

An Existential Classic
The Transendence of the Ego is the heart and soul of Sartre's philosopy. It is a classic and a must for anyone who wants to delve deeper in his/her understanding of Sartre's other philosophical views. It is a wonderful thesis, more or less an expanded introduction to Being and Nothingness.

The turning point in the thought of Sartre
The Transcendence of the Ego is Sartre's refutation and response to the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl and his idea that a transcendental ego stands behind consciousness. Reading Being and Nothingness is tremendously aided by this short work, and the thought inside is tremendously exciting, because Sartre refutes solipsism and finally brings consciousness outside into the world. This book is highly recommended to those interested in Existentialist Philosophy.

mind blowing
transcending the ego, is the state to which 'organized' religions preach, whether christian, jew, muslim, hindu, buddhist, shamin. this little book is so deep, with so few words, it is astounding. read this and the second half of Flatlander by Abbott.